Fox in the Box

[R.N7]

Does Manchester United need a fox in the box?

Can Ighalo be that fox?

 

[SER19]

I think we do. If you look at the role hernandez played for us when he was no longer a starter he was so crucial in so many games. You always need 'a goal' on the bench.

For context I think we need 2 strong substitutes and 2 new starters.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

I think having a range of players who can be relied upon to stick the ball in the back of the next is never a bad thing... on a day like Sunday when you're striker isn't scoring, you need to be able to bring on a player or two who can put the ball in the net instead.

I thought Ighalo could be that guy, and to be fair he's done pretty well at putting the ball in the back of the net before lockdown... but if Ole isn't going to bring him on for more then 2 minutes at the end of a game like that, then there really is zero point in him being here.

So yeah, a 2020 version of Hernandez would be lovely.

 

[jem]

If we get Sancho (big if, I know,) couldn't Greenwood grow into that role? As well, we could have someone like Ighalo on the bench, if brawn is required.

 

[Garethw]

Does Manchester United need a fox in the box?

Can Ighalo be that fox?

We do need somebody like that desperately.
Ighalo is not good enough. It’s why Solskjær doesn’t play him.

 

[Chief123]

Fox in the box type players often require a specific style of football to suit it. If we had Kane our style would be totally different. You would need to get plenty of crosses in from out wide especially from the full backs. We would not transition and be as fluid as we are now with the style we have adopted with 3 agile, mobile and energetic forwards.

Personally I prefer the style we have now. It allows us to attack teams who sit deep with the creativity we have now. And it allows us to sit in and counter.

It all depends on how you want the team to play.

 

[Class of 63]

Greenwood could be our fox in the box in the short-term, but it would be a waste of his talent, the kid in time will revolutionise the false no. nine position.

 

[United492]

ex dipper, but on current form I'd go for Ings

 

[Lee565]

There is cavani who is available on a free as a stop gal for a few years and would probably be somewhere between 200-250k a week which is not awful when compared to the club currently paying about 180k a week to bloody ighalo who ole barely trusts in even the easy games or to even throw him on with 25 minutes left when we need a goal.

 

[Sandikan]

We've taken all this time to finally see that Martial can start scoring a good amount of goals.

We're not going to wreck that anytime soon with a new poacher surely?!

 

[choiboyx012]

I would’ve liked to see ighalo subbed in earlier in many of our matches to show if he can do it.

 

[Lee565]

We've taken all this time to finally see that Martial can start scoring a good amount of goals.

We're not going to wreck that anytime soon with a new poacher surely?!

We still need someone that is capable being a real option off the bench and ighalo is definitely not that with how little trust ole seems to have in him, talk about about wasting wages being keeping him at the club until January.

 

[Jibbs]

If we get Sancho (big if, I know,) couldn't Greenwood grow into that role? As well, we could have someone like Ighalo on the bench, if brawn is required.

Greenwood is 18 years old. He needs time and maturity. Hopefully in 3 to 4 years time he can if he continues at the same trajectory.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Ighalo is the closest player to being a fox in the box. Actually, I'm a bit surprised he hasn't featured a bit more since the lockdown, especially in the few games we lost.

Going forward, you look at someone like Moussa Dembele, who we were linked with quite a bit last season. He is someone who seems to be a poacher. His second goal vs City was evidence of this.

 

[Smithy89]

Dembele from Lyon is a proper goalscorer.

 

[starman]

What's Franny Jeffers upto nowadays?

 

[Web of Bissaka]

Looking at Ighalo's record off the bench.. He's not.

He is a good fox in the box when he starts and play more minutes.

 

[UpWithRivers]

Cavani. Yeah 33 and had a few injuries and everyone is against older players but hes a class player on a free. He will bring experience and leadership and is better than Ighalo who leaves in Jan anyway. Wage could be a problem but there is talk that he's going to Benfica fro 150/200 a week which isnt that much. 30 mill on a 3 year contract? Worth the risk I would think.

 

[hmchan]

In modern football you need your striker to have all round ability and contribute not only in the box, but also in link up plays and buildups. Poachers who specialize in sniffing out chances are too limited in a tactical point of view and they could hardly be offered a starting role (e.g. Chicharito). To accomodate that deficiency, you'll need another backup striker to fill in the starting role (e.g. Welbeck) during rotation and not many teams have the luxury to do that.

 

[ti vu]

Fox in the box or reliable tap in merchant. Yes we can do with one. We missed the chance with Icardi moving to PSG. However, we need to improve our supplies. Lukaku is also a decent box forward due to both his physique and instinct (less clinical, but better at counter attack, running behind a high line), but we couldn't really provide into the box. As right now, we're still relying on catching opposition on counter.

Ighalo is never the fox in the box type of foward. He's a battler, percentage forward. His best role is occupying defender, and battling, rather than peeling away to find that moment to tap in.

Greenwood has the natural finish, but he's yet to show those movement in the box.

 

[NoneBmStore]

Bringing back Ruud would be the best option right now

 

[wolvored]

There is cavani who is available on a free as a stop gal for a few years and would probably be somewhere between 200-250k a week which is not awful when compared to the club currently paying about 180k a week to bloody ighalo who ole barely trusts in even the easy games or to even throw him on with 25 minutes left when we need a goal.

I read that his benfica transfer fell through as he wants £180k a week. Would he come here to sit on the bench though and would we pay £180k a week for a bench warmer in these post Sanchez days?

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

We don't need one

 

[wolvored]

I could see Greenwood angling to leave end of next season if he ends up sitting on the bench most matches. Hes proven he is a first team player. Saying that we need proper rotation so the front 3 (plus RW whoever we get) can play 3 out of 4 full matches so getting a rest and the option off the bench on the 4th match if needed. I think tiredness contributed to our tail off last few premier games and we have enough firepower when fresh. A fox in the box is completely different to how we play.

 

[Thaila-X]

I thought Ighalo started off quite well and as a rotation option was a decent choice but Ole seems to lack trust in him to come on and change a game. Finding a striker who's good enough to be a reliable impact sub and also happy to play second fiddle is like finding a needle in a haystack! I wouldn't be against Cavani coming in but then there's always going to a worry that he's just coming for the paycheck. I've always been a fan of Danny Ings who's been mentioned above, but I imagine he'll want to be playing week in week out.

 

[KeanoMagicHat]

Dembele from Lyon is a proper goalscorer.

Agree, I think he would be a good signing to come off the bench and could be another Solskjaer/Hernandez.

 

[Lynty]

Don't need one.

Or more accurately, we could do with one, at about priority number 6.